Movable stairway.



P. E. BESSLER. MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

. APPLICATION FILED IEB.24, 1913. 1,088,960 Patented Mar.3,1914,

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Inventor gig I by W Attorneys.

P. E. BESSLER. MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED F3124, 1913.

1,088,960. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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l by W F. E. BESSLER. MOVABLE STAIRWAY. APPLICATION FILED FBB.24,1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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Attorneys UNllTED STATES PATENT FRANK E. BESSLER, F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BESSLEB MOVABLE STAIRWAY (30., OF AKRON, OHIO.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

a sence.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 191st.

Application filed February 24, 1913. Serial No. 750,361.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK E. Bnssnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Movable Stairway, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a movable stairway of that general type which is mounted to slide upon a hinged panel.

The invention aims to provide a movable stairway of the type above mentioned, which may be installed with a minimum disturbance of the existing construction in the building.

The invention aims to provide a stairway which may be installed with a minimum expenditure of hardware.

It is within the scope of the invention to improve a means whereby the panel is swung upon its pivotal mounting, and to provide a means whereby the stairway is slid upon the panel,

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the panel swung downwardly, the stairway being lowered upon the panel; Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing the means whereby the links are assembled with the panel and with the frame which is closed by the panel; Fig. 3 is a top plan showing the stairway in lowered position; Fig. 1 is a bottom plan showing the panel in closed position, the stairway having been elevated; Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the panel in closed position; the stairway being elevated; Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the actuating drum; Fig. 7 is a longitudinalsection of the actuating drum; Fig. 8 is a sectional detail showing the latch mechanism whereby the hand rail is upheld; Fig. 9 is a plan of the latch mechanism depicted in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional detail showing means whereby the stairway is held upon the panel for sliding movement; Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is an elevation of one of the link supporting brackets; and Fig. 13 isa detailed perspective showing a portion of one of the stiles of the stairway.

In the drawing, the numeral 11 indicates a frame which is mounted in the ceiling 11 The numeral 10 indicates a panel to the upper end of which are secured brackets 25 having extensions 26 which are pivotally connected with fixed hinge members 27 secured to the upper face of the ceiling 11. Through the cooperation of the parts above described, the panel 10 is mounted at one end for vertical swinging movement.

Supports 21 are secured to the upper face of the frame 11, and upon the supports 21 are mounted for vertical sliding movement. supports 20. Screws 2O connect the support and 21, to effect a vertical movement of the supports 20. In each support 20 is held a shaft 19, the shaft 19 being mounted to move in slots 21 (see Fig. 12) formed in the fixed support 21. Links 14; are mounted to swing on the shaft 19, the links 14; being connected with links 12, by means of pivot elements 17, provided with set nuts 18. The lower ends of the links 12 are pivottglly connected with brackets 12 (see Fig. 14 panel 10. The links 12 are equipped with lateral fingers 12 which extend across edges of the links 1 1, thereby to maintain the links as shown in Fig. 1, when the panel 10 is lowered. Sheaves 22 are carried by the sh aft 19 and about the sheaves 22 are trained cables 24L Each cable 2 1 is connected, as shown in Fig. 1 1 and as designated by the reference character 24;, to one bracket 12 Journaled in the brackets 25 are shafts 60, the shafts being shouldered as indicated at 61, for engagement with the brackets 25. Each shaft 60 at one end is squared as shown at Go to receive against rotation, a sheave 30. The cable 24L is trained about the periphery of the sheave 30, one end of each the brackets 12 being secured to the the drum 29, in a direction opposite to that cable being engaged as indicated at 24 with the hub of the sheave and with the squared end 60 of the shaft 60, so that the cable serves as a means for connecting the sheave with the shaft 60.

Journaled for rotation upon the shaft 60 is a drum 29, provided at one end with a closure 29 which may be held in place by screws 29 or in any other desired manner. Located within the drum 29 is a spiral spring 100, one end of which is secured indicated at 101 to the drum 29, the other end of which is secured as indicated at 102 to the shaft 60. A cable 32 is trained about in which the cable 24 is trained around the sheave 30. The cables 32 are connected as indicated at 33 to a supporting rod 34, the rod 34 connecting the stiles 35 of the movable stairway 36.

The stairway 36 comprises the stiles 35 above mentioned, and steps 37 which connect the stiles. The stiles 35 are longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 39. Secured to the panel 10 are angular guides 40, the extremities of which are received slidably in the slots. As shown in Fig. 11, the guides 40 are equipped with upstanding lugs 40 having functions which will be set forth hereinafter. Latches 42 are pivoted to the stiles 35 of the stairway, the latches 42 being adapted to engage with the lugs 40 of the guides 40, to hold the stairway 36 in a retracted position or in an advanced one. The stiles 35 slide upon rollers 38, carried by the panel 10. (See Fig. 10).

Hand rail supports 43 and 43 are pivoted to one of the stiles 35, adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, the hand rail support 43 having a longitudinal groove 41, terminated at its upper end in a flared mouth 45. A bracket 47 is secured to the panel 10,

the bracket 47 carrying a roller 46 which operates in the groove 41 of the support 43 The hand rail 48 is pivotally connected with the upper ends of the supports 43 and 43.

A means is provided for maintaining the hand rail 48 in the uplifted position shown in Fig. 1, and in this connection, Figs. 8 and 9 may be examined with profit, in connec tion with Fig. 1.

Secured to one of the stiles 35 of the stairway 36 is a casing 49 in which is journaled a shaft 51 having a loop 52 adapted to engage with a projection 53 formed upon a support 54 connecting with the member 43. The shaft 51 may be manipulated by means of a key 51 Supposing that the panel 10 is in a closed position, and that the stairway 36 is ele vated, the operation of the structure hereinbefore set forth is as follows: By drawing upon a flexible element 105 which is secured to the panel 10, the free end of the panel 1 may be swung downwardly, the panel 10 swinging upon the connected elements 2627. When the panel 10 is swung into the depending position above described and shown in Fig. l, the cables 24 will be drawn upon, rotating the sheaves 30 and rotating the shafts 60, the springs 100 being put under tension. The stairway 36 is then drawn into a depending position, as shown in Fig. 1, the stiles 35 of the stairway sliding along the rollers 38, and the guides 40 moving in the slots 39 of the stiles. When the stairway 36 is thus lowered, the flexible elements 32 will be reeled off the drums 29, the springs 100 being put under further tension. The hand rail 48 may thereupon be elevated into the position shown in Fig. 1, under which circumstances, the roller 46 on the bracket 47 will enter the flaring mouth of the slot 41 in the support 43 and ultimately traverse the slot 41, the roller moving into the position shown in Fig. 1. Through the medium of the key 51, the shaft 51 may be rotated until the loop 52 engages with the project-ion 53 which is fixed on the support 43, whereupon the hand rail 48 will be maintained in the uplifted position shown in Fig. 1. In order to elevate the stairway 36, the operation above described is reversed, and it is to be noted that by the downward swinging movement of the panel 10 and by the downward sliding movement of the stairway 36 considerable tension has been imparted to the springs 100, so that these springs will aid materially in moving the panel 10 to a closed position, and in elevating the stairway 34, upon the panel. The latches 42 engage with the lugs 40 of the members 40 to hold the stairway 36 in uplifted position on the panel 10.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a hingedly mounted panel; a stairway slidable upon the panel; a shaft supported by the panel; a sheave fixed to the shaft; a drum rotatable upon the shaft; a spring connecting the drum with the sheave; a flexible element connecting the shaft with the panel; and a flexible element connecting the drum with the stairway.

2. In a device of the class described, a hingedly mounted panel; a stairway slidable upon the panel; a shaft supported for rotation adjacent the hinged mounting of the panel; a drum rotatable upon the shaft; a spring connecting the drum with the shaft; a flexible element connecting the shaftwith the panel; and a flexible element connecting the drum with the stairway.

3. In a device of the class described, a hingedly mounted panel; a stairway slidable upon the panel cooperating elements comprising a shaft supported for rotation adjacent the hinged mounting of the panel and a drum rotatable upon the shaft; a spring connecting the drum With the shaft; :1 flexible element connecting one of said cooperating elements With the panel; and a flexible element connecting the other of said coopersting elements With the stairway.

(Sonics of this patent may be obtaine d tor five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

lVitnesses LUCILE H. SMITH, EDWIN W. BENESE.

Commissioner of Patents, 

